I’ve been kayaking for about twelve years, and for eleven of those, I’ve been in a relationship with another kayaker, Tom. We are actually married now. My friend Lewis once joked, ‘So many guys wish their girlfriends loved kayaking as much as they do… but they should meet you two and see what it’s really like. They might realise that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side!’
On paper, being with someone who shares your passion sounds perfect. In reality, when that passion is white water kayaking; an all-consuming, time-hungry, rain-dependent obsession, it means your relationship is going to be dominated by it. You won’t be a ‘normal couple’ doing ‘normal couple things,’ and honestly, that’s mostly fine.
After more than a decade of paddling white water and loving someone who paddles too, here’s what I’ve learned about what it’s really like to be in a kayaking relationship.
